


He Knows

by cardinalwrites



Category: SPN, Supernatural
Genre: 13x13, Destiel - Freeform, M/M, devil's bargain, spn coda
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-09
Updated: 2018-02-09
Packaged: 2019-03-15 17:14:33
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 839
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13617954
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cardinalwrites/pseuds/cardinalwrites
Summary: Dean and Castiel talk after Castiel is reunited with the boys in the bunker.





	He Knows

“So you telling me about Detroit wasn’t you?”

“Is there something I should know about in Detroit?” Castiel eyed Dean softly.

“N-no, just, you know,” Dean bobbed his head. “You told me stories and I told you stories about where we were, what we were up to.”

“So Detroit is just an example then,” Castiel surmised.  
  
“Yeah.”

“And what else exactly, are other examples?”

Dean paused, considering whether or not it smart to answer the question. “You’d call, ask what our location and update was. I’d tell you, ask the same, then we’d... talk.”

“Talk...”

“Yeah, like we always do. That’s why I guess I didn’t catch anything...”

Castiel only eyed him. Even Dean knew he was speaking crap.

“Dean... what _exactly_ did you say?”

Dean only remained quiet.

“Dean...” Castiel prodded.

“You’d always listen, Cas, just listen to me vent,” Dean started. He refused to meet Castiel’s eye. “I’d talk about Jack and Sam, and when we got back from Bizarro-world––”

“Bizarro-world? Is that in Detroit?”

“What? No, just––” Dean waved his hand. “Right, yeah, guess I should tell you that story for real, shouldn’t I?”

“We will catch up when you finish what it is you’re about to say, Dean. And do not think I do not notice your attempt at evading”

Dean huffed. “Yeah...” He closed his eyes for a few beats. “But, uh, well when we got back from Bizarro-world a few days ago––Yes I’ll explain later––I got my phone back on and called you first thing. You picked up and just listened to that entire story and just let me talk. It sounded like you were knee deep under the ocean, but you were there letting me have it out, and I guess what I’m trying to say is that even if it wasn’t, you know, the _real_ you, you were still helping me.” Dean rubbed his hands. “God, Cas, I’m sorry we didn’t know. You always listen and I was so deep in myself that I didn’t catch you weren’t talking as much during those calls.”

“Dean... it’s okay. Really, it’s okay. I don’t know how much Asmodeus was actually listening to you, but if it helped you––”

“I told him.”

Castiel stopped. 

“You... told him...?” He prompted.

“It just-it slipped out one night.”

“Dean, you and I both know you suck at emotions, so I regret to say I have no idea what ‘it’ is or if you would even let yourself say anything.”

“Cas, you’re making this bigger than it is.”

“Dean, I don’t even know what this is, be reasonable,” Castiel placed his hands on the table and waited until Dean met his gaze. “What did you tell him?” He spoke softly.”

“You know how we ended our calls.” Dean waited.

“You tell me to take care of myself, and I you.” Castiel supplied.

“...Yeah, sure.”

“Sometimes you’d say ‘Watch out’ or ‘Call in a few hours’ or not to do anything stupid.” Dean scoffed at the last one.

“Yeah, well, you said it yourself, I suck at telling people how I actually feel.”

It made sense the minute Dean’s voice trailed off. 

“You didn’t say that when you ended the calls one night, did you,” it wasn’t a question.

“I said... something, sure. Sam had been having a really dark few weeks, and I’m talking dark. Then we had a run-in with Rowena and something changed even more about how lost he was. And I got hit with a wicked spell that didn’t make me see straight, but I guess it was a side effect or something after, but...”

“Dean. Words. Use them, please.”

“I told him-you... to come back. To be here. Because I missed you, and there was something weird going on with my head but I figured you’d be able to fix me up, because that’s what we do. We fix each other up.” Dean flushed. Castiel could see the red in his ears. Suddenly Dean looked more like he did 20 years ago than the full-grown man standing before Castiel. “Well, the thing is I might’ve used three words instead of everything I just said. A bottle of Jack might’ve been involved, and I’m not talking about the kid.”

Castiel only regarded the man in front of him, admitting something the both of them had known for nearly the last decade. It had simply never been verbalized fully. Still hasn’t, in a way.

“Dean, you are an insufferable human being, you know that?”

“Well, for the record, that sentence beats you hanging up on me when I said it.” Dean only stirred as Castiel moved to stand beside him, instead only angling his head to meet the angel’s. “Guess that should’ve been my hint, huh?”

“I guess, so, but I’ll give you another one.”

Dean let himself be taken in by the true angel. Maybe, given time, he’ll be able to say those words again. Have them truly be verbalized. Or maybe it doesn’t matter anymore.

Because he knows. The real Castiel knows.

**Author's Note:**

> Comes say hi on [tumblr](http://www.cardinalwrites.tumblr.com)!


End file.
